Psychological Principles Of Teaching

Considering the psychological principles of teaching, let’s understand them properly and make way for an effective learning process. These guidelines were developed with due deliberation for the learner’s aptitudes, capacities, and potential. They are framed from the perspective of a student. Applying them to your teaching methods can spark a child’s interest in studying. His motivation to learn not only makes his learning more efficient and straightforward but also aids in his ability to remember the material for a more extended period.

These guidelines cover all psychological principles of teaching that can enhance a child’s learning. These are not to be confused with principles of teaching psychology. The feedback and reinforcement concept is based on the principles of education, where reinforcement plays a significant role. Further psychological research has shown that children learn more effectively in teams.

Hence the idea of using team dynamics has been put up. In the same thread, psychological principles have traditionally emphasized the leisure time of kids. Here is a list of five psychological principles of teaching, explained in brief.

Meaning of Principles of Teaching

The phrase “principles of teaching” is used in the education and psychology literature when talking about the positive or negative effects of various approaches. This is done to make a distinction between “general educational principles” on the one hand and “specific environmental factors or psychological principles, or any other factors that may have an effect on learning.” 

The first group focuses on general, universal aspects of teaching and learning, like the Principle of universality, which postulates that all learners must have access to content regardless of their background or cognitive ability. 

What are the Principles of Teaching?

Principles of teaching are the rules, practical and comprehensive learning laws, that decide the course of action. Some of these principles are as follows:

The Psychological Principles of Consistency

The Principle of Consistency states that all students should be treated the same way in terms of expectations, classrooms, and teachers. Classrooms need to be the same from one day to another, but also from one class period to another. Consistency is important for students because they will have a greater sense of security if they know what to expect in every class period.

The Psychological Principle of Deferred Gratification

The Principle states that when students are asked to do something or learn something now, they must be given an explanation as to why this is important and why it will benefit them in the long run.

The Psychological Principles of Individualization

The Principle of individualization states that students can be grouped according to their characteristics, like their language proficiency or intelligence, but the classroom environment and teaching methods must be tailored to each group, or it could be counter-productive. This Principle is also known as differentiation. 

The Psychological Principle of Mental Imagery

This Principle is based on research by Paivio, who found that some students have a more active verbal system and others have a more active visual system, meaning they are better at using words or pictures to learn new material. This is relevant because if the information is taught in the most appropriate way for each student, much better learning outcomes will follow. 

The Psychological Principles of Organization

The Principle of organization states that teachers should proceed from the simple to the complex and include review for conceptual understanding. Teachers can use visual support to help students organize material and improve their learning process.

The Psychological Principles of Feedback and Reinforcement

 This Principle of Teaching states that feedback must be clear, consistent, encouraging, and timed correctly. Students need immediate feedback so they know whether they are doing well or not, but also so they can continue at a steady pace and learn new things along the way. Feedback must also be positive and encouraging to have a positive effect on learning outcomes. Teachers must also be consistent in timing their feedback and reinforcement learning.

The Psychological Principle of Mental Contrast

The Psychological Principle of Teaching mental contrast states that the teacher’s questions should be based on what students already know and understand, so they can help them see how they have progressed or where they still have to progress. The teacher’s questions should also avoid confusing students by using different words or contradicting information already accepted by students.  

The Psychological Principles of Evaluation

 This Principle of Teaching states that the teacher should carefully evaluate the student’s progress and make adjustments to his or her teaching methods accordingly. 

The Psychological Principles of Multiple Teaching Methods

This Principle states that all students can benefit from the use of different teaching methods, including those by direct instruction, demonstration, and communication within groups. Teachers should be able to adapt the correct teaching method for each student in order to improve learning outcomes. For example, if a student is unable to understand spoken language due to a language handicap, it is better to use pictures and symbols.

The Psychological Principles of Anticipation

The Principle of Teaching of anticipation states that teachers must be aware of the questions students are likely to ask and answer them in a way that is easy to understand. Especially in a classroom full of English language learners, it is important for teachers to anticipate the questions their students will be asking and answer them before the students actually think about asking them.

The Psychological Principles of Comprehension

The Principle states that teachers should teach comprehensible input. This means that teachers are required to reduce the level of input, i.e., the teacher must simplify the language and keep it interesting for students.

The Psychological Principle of Child-Centered Education

Child-centered education can be applied when learning a second language because it focuses on the needs, interests, and motivations of the students so that they become fully involved in the lesson. This strategy can also reduce anxiety related to learning new skills or being corrected on them by the teacher.

The Psychological Principles of Presentation

This Psychological Principle of Teaching states that teachers should try to show students how something is done instead of just telling them what to do. It’s harder for students to understand instructions when they are only given in writing, so teachers should be more visual when instructing their students.

The Psychological Principles of Self-Directed Learning

This Principle of Teaching means that teachers should encourage students to take control of the learning process by keeping pace with what they are doing and by monitoring their progress so they can continue at a steady rate.

The Psychological Principles of Authentic Assessment

This Principle of Teaching is based on research and studies. The research and studies found that student performance on tasks still continued to improve when teachers made adjustments to the task. The adjustments are needed to be based on their own perceptions and experiences with it, rather than using timed tests and testing procedures. 

The Psychological Principles of Review and revise

Review and revising are the essential psychological principles of learning. To ensure that the students can acquire and comprehend the purpose of the topic entirely, the teacher should illustrate what he is supposed to teach in class multiple times. Additionally, psychological principles advocate that it aids in longer-term memory retention of any topic. 

Exercises for additional practice may also be assigned as homework or classwork. It takes an approach to get flawless. When the kids revisit the topic multiple times, they will fully understand it. They will also be able to comprehend the finer nuances of the topic. The instructor who effectively teaches the students can do so by using activities like revision, recapitulation, and application of what has been introduced to the students. Further, the teacher is also able to understand the strong and weak points of a student and help him or her accordingly.

The Psychological Principle of Growth Mindset

Good teaching promotes the student’s independent learning endeavors to learn what he or she is teaching in such a way that the pupils develop the habit of independent learning. Further, the student should not be afraid of making mistakes and taking calculated risks. A teacher should not favor the principles of teaching that involve spoon-feeding. He might begin by lecturing, but he gradually introduces the pupils to real-world applications of their teaching topics and encourages students to explore. Wherever they require assistance or direction, he continues to be there in the background to provide it.

The Psychological Principles of dynamics

The power of team dynamics is one of the most famous principles of learning that should be understood by the teacher. He should make an effort to instill in the students the proper kind of group conduct and respect for teamwork. To achieve this, she has to perform his duties as a teacher in such a way that she is successful in transforming the students into well-behaved individuals in a group setting.

Children learn better in groups. Additionally, they can cultivate traits like tolerance, cooperation, sacrifice, etc. Therefore, good teaching should promote group learning. Teamwork helps students to prepare for life in general by inculcating in them the wisdom of dealing with people. Kids learn to lose with magnanimity and deal with their accomplishments humbly.

The Psychological Principles of Positive motivation

Principles of teaching advocate teaching to be a three-way interaction between the teacher, the students, and the subject matter. Collaboration between the teacher and the students is essential for this. The idea of teaching and learning has altered now. It is no longer just a teaching-based procedure. Now, the learner is the center of attention rather than the teacher. It’s crucial to see whether the student cooperates and whether his curiosity is genuine.

It is the teacher’s responsibility to inspire the student by developing engaging and good teaching strategies. The critical concern is how to motivate the students. Therefore motivation is of the utmost importance. A motivated child will be a curious child, which is what matters the most in learning.

The Psychological Principles of Repetition

The Principle of Repetition helps the teacher to guide the student to learn something and then practice it repeatedly. Practice is what makes someone master their skills, and practice only comes with repetition of the skill learned. So it is one of the most important principles of teaching.

The Final Word

Research from cognitive and educational psychology has greatly helped teachers in improving the learning quotient of a child. Teams like Classplus also help you improve the learning quotient of your student, whether you are teaching psychology or other subjects.

Classplus enables you to create a customized app that can take care of all your teaching needs. You can incorporate different tools on your excellent teaching strategies in your teaching app. With your app, you will be able to grow your online coaching and reach out to many more students.

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